With Mitt Romney leading in the polls but Rick Santorum still around in the chase for the Republican presidential nomination, the two leading candidates to take on President Barack Obama exchanged fire on Thursday.
Romney, who won six of the 10 contests on the line on Super Tuesday, leads a national poll of likely Republican primary voters released by Rasmussen Reports on Thursday. With 39 percent, Romney has a solid lead over Santorum, who takes second with 27 percent. Newt Gingrich, who carried his home state of Georgia on Super Tuesday, stands in third with 17 percent, followed by Ron Paul with 10 percent. Five percent are undecided and 2 percent back other candidates.
Last week, Romney took 40 percent in a national Rasmussen poll against Santorum, who had 24 percent. Two weeks ago Santorum led a national Rasmussen poll with 39 percent with Romney in second with 27 percent.
The poll released Thursday has other good news for Romney. He leads Santorum 50 percent to 39 percent in a one-on-one match-up and 80 percent of likely Republican primary voters think that Romney will emerge with the nomination. A majority of those surveyed -- 51 percent -- think Romney will be the best candidate to take on Obama in November.
The poll of 1,000 likely Republican primary voters was taken on March 7 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
While Romney leads nationally, Santorum could garner some momentum in the days to come. Kansas, which borders Oklahoma where Santorum won Tuesday, holds its caucus on Saturday, and Alabama and Mississippi, which neighbor Tennessee where Santorum also won, hold primaries on Tuesday.
The Romney camp went on the attack on Thursday, hammering Santorum for his record in Washington.
Senator Santorums claims to be a Washington outsider are at odds with the facts, said Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for Romney. After serving as a lobbyist in Pennsylvania before running for Congress, Santorum became a go-to guy for D.C. lobbyists while he served in the Senate. If conservatives are looking for an outsider who will shake things up in Washington, Rick Santorums long record of taking one for the team should give them pause.
Santorums camp fired back, attacking Romney for backing a state health-care law that, they argued, was much like the federal one that Obama signed in 2010. The Santorum team forwarded to the media a piece Romney wrote in Newsweek in 2009 which, they maintained, showed that the former Massachusetts governor supported mandates.
"It's one thing to pass a health-care mandate in your state, it's another to beg the president to copy your idea, but it's quite another to not be truthful about it, Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for Santorum, said on Thursday. We need to trust the Republican nominee will restore freedoms, not continue to take them away. It's obviously clear we cannot trust Mitt Romney's promises for the future when he cannot be truthful about his performance in the past."
In the meantime, both sides trotted out supporters that they hope will help in the contests coming up in the next few days.
Former GOP presidential candidate and U.S. Senate leader Bob Dole endorsed Romney for the Republican presidential nomination back in December. Dole resurfaced for the Romney campaign on Thursday as Romney heads into the Kansas caucus, which has 40 delegates at stake, on Saturday.
Dole, who was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 1950 before serving as Russell County attorney and moving up to Congress in 1960, praised Romney and tried to sell Sunflower State Republicans on the former Massachusetts governor.
Ive known Governor Romney for some time and Kansas would be well-served if he wins in our state on Saturday. He is a man of high standards. He is a Main Street conservative and, knowing the Congress as I do, I believe he will have great success in working with Republicans and Democrats once he is inaugurated, Dole said.
Its also a time when Kansans have an opportunity to make a difference. Every delegate is important because of the timing of the Kansas caucus. Governor Romney holds a lead after winning six states on Super Tuesday. If Governor Romney can do well here, hell be much closer to his goal. Do Kansas a favor in voting for the best candidate on Saturday, March 10. Thank you, and give Governor Romney your vote.
The Santorum camp brought out NFL quarterback Philip Rivers from the San Diego Chargers. Rivers, who played at NC State and is originally from Alabama, which holds its primary with 50 delegates on the line on Tuesday, announced on Thursday that he is backing Santorum.
"I am supporting Rick Santorum for president because of his stance on issues that attack vital Christian values our country was founded upon: no abortion, upholding traditional marriage, defending religious freedom, no euthanasia, Rivers said on Thursday. Rick Santorum will also fight to create jobs and expand opportunities for all Americans. I am proud to endorse Senator Santorum and do what I can to help him secure the Republican nomination for president of the United States."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
